updated 04:45 pm EST, Tue January 6, 2009

D-Link N450 and More CES

D-Link's lineup at CES has been introduced today and focuses on a pair of 802.11n Wi-Fi routers. The Xtreme N 450 is one of few if any wireless routers to crack the 300Mbps theoretical peak and potentially transfers data as quickly as its namesake 450Mbps over the local network. While not providing real-world speeds, the 50 percent increase is expected to translate into practical performance gains. The device is also a true dual-band router and can run one 2.4GHz and one 5GHz network simultaneously regardless of the particular format used.

The hardware producer also gives the new Xtreme N its best features, such as four gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB port for sharing printers and storage. D-Link vows to ship the new model in the spring and will set a price when the router is available.

D-Link's second router, the Xtreme N DIR-685, shifts attention to convenience over speed through the unique addition of a 3.2-inch LCD to its front face. The vertically-mounted device runs at a more conventional 300Mbps maximum speed but can display Internet-supplied photos, video, weather and live network performance data. It also adds support for network-attached storage and can serve as a BitTorrent client, FTP server or Universal Plug and Play server to either download or host content regardless of whether any networked computers are turned on.

Although the number of non-WAN Ethernet ports isn't mentioned, two USB ports allow the 685 to hold both a printer and an external drive simultaneously. D-Link declines to mention a launch date or price for the router.

A third introduction centers on the DCS-1130 Wireless Network Camera, an 802.11n- and Ethernet-supporting device that lets users with a 3G or other broadband connection watch streaming video when not at home or at work. The camera uses a 16X digital-only zoom to focus on distant subjects but supports multiple user profiles. Like the DIR-685, launch information is also unavailable.

D-Link finishes its efforts with the SideStage, a 7-inch monitor driven solely by a USB connection rather than separate display and power signals. The 800x480 screen is labeled as a companion and lets owners bring a second, third or greater display to a system regardless of available video-out slots. Support is currently limited to Windows on the SideStage, which ships later in 2009 for an unknown price.

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